


Captain America: The Winter Soldier AU - Clifan

by Lica_K



Category: Captain America (Movies), Death Stranding (Video Games), Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom
Genre: Au captain america, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:14:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28431489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lica_K/pseuds/Lica_K
Summary: Basically the story of Captain America's second movie if Dylan was Steve and Cliff was Bucky. Other characters have also been changed with the characters that are part of the Death Stranding universe (plus the original characters that are related to Dylan).This is the second part of fic: "Captain America: The First Avenger AU - Clifan"
Relationships: Clifford Unger/Dylan Ethan Wright, Dylan Wright & Bruce, Dylan Wright & Christine, Dylan Wright & Die-Hardman
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	Captain America: The Winter Soldier AU - Clifan

The truth was... Cliff wanted to hold Dylan's hand until the end. Prolong the last touch they would share in this life as long as he could, but luckily he wasn’t selfish enough to do so at the expense of the safety of the man he had fallen in love with probably since the day they sat together on that tree trunk when they were children.

The last thing he saw before closing his eyes as he fell was Dylan's panicked expression shouting his name still extending his hand in his direction. Cliff does not remember feeling the impact of the fall, just the cold wind passing through his body while gravity took care of the rest.

_

For some strange reason, he was still alive.

That fall should have killed him, he was sure of it, but here he was: alive and breathing.

But there was blood. A lot of blood, especially from his left arm. Or at least what was left of it. The cold could have damaged his body's senses, but that didn't mean he was blind to not notice the lack of the rest of his arm. It wasn't hurting even after his mind managed to register what had happened and that couldn't be a good sign.

Taking a deep breath feeling the cold entering his lungs, Cliff closed his eyes and let the tears fall only now realizing their existence. Dylan would be so mad at him if he found out he was giving up that easy. " _ You’re one of the most courageous people I have ever met, Cliff _ " Dylan's voice sounded so clear as if he were there, even though it was clearly just a memory.

Hope could easily be someone's salvation, as well as their damnation.

The only thing that made Cliff compel his body to move even when all he wanted to do was lie there was the hope of being able to see Dylan again. After all, he had promised, right? As long as there was life inside him, Cliff would do anything to get back. Someone had to keep an eye on Dylan and stop him from doing crazy things.

As he dragged himself through the snow and the pain, Cliff had the impression that he was not moving, but he persisted on using all the willpower that was left in him.

_

He hadn't even noticed he lost consciousness until he found himself being dragged by men in uniform. They were obviously not part of a rescue team, but Cliff was too tired to keep his eyes open for long.

  
  


"Captain Unger" Cliff would be able to recognize that female voice from anywhere "I really didn't expect us to meet again, much less in these circumstances" her voice remained emotionless, as if she were just reporting facts.

She couldn't be here, wherever "here" was. She was on the train he fell off, he remembered that. How long had it been since then? It couldn't be that long. Even if he had lost track of time, it didn't mean it was possible that she was here unless… something had happened on the train after he fell. What if something had happened to Dylan?

He needed answers. He desperately needed it, but she would give him nothing. Not this woman who claimed to be a doctor, yet she did such terrible things without showing any emotion that Cliff had already come to the conclusion that she shouldn't even be a real human being.

It would have been better to die from the cold and blood loss than to end up becoming Dr. Amelie's experiment again.

_

The next time he woke up was when he found himself on an operating table surrounded by doctors and bright lights. As he raised his hands and looked at them, Cliff realized that they had placed a kind of mechanical arm where his left arm should have been. It was too abnormal and Cliff hated it as soon as he laid eyes on it. A doctor approached, attracting Cliff's attention enough to make him use this same metallic arm to break his neck.

  
  


He managed to kill a few more doctors and guards before they finally pierced him with some tranquilizers forcing him to lose consciousness, as well as the control of his body's mobility.

_

The next thing they wanted to do with him was to erase his memories.

As if what they had done so far was not enough, now they wanted to take the only thing that was left of him, besides his own life. He wouldn't allow it. They could do whatever they wanted with him, but they wouldn't touch his memories. Especially the moments he had shared with Dylan. No, this was much more important than his own life and they wouldn't take Dylan away from him.

_

The chair was the thing that he hated and feared the most.

  
  


He can feel the chair gradually removing his memories, no matter how much he resists or how much he screams when he feels the pain. But it will never take Dylan away. Cliff will continue to remember him, even if he ends up forgetting about himself. Because Dylan is the only thing that matters in this hell. Dylan is his everything. Nothing will change that.

_

"Did you know my mom chose him? To do the experiment?"

The cold-eyed doctor was talking to him, but Cliff continued to ignore her. He couldn't remember who she was, but he knew he hated her. He also had no idea what she was talking about, but nothing could be more important than the blue-eyed boy who smiled happily while drinking coffee in his memories.

"I always wondered... What was the difference between him and me?" she continued to speak, as if she didn't even notice the lack of response from him "Bridget said the serum drove me crazy and that the daughter she knew was dead." she sat in a place close to where he was tied to the chair "She swore she would never use the serum again, but she must have changed her mind when she met him" she looked at him "What exactly did she see in Dylan Wright?"

The mere mention of that name was enough to make him look at her with interest. How was it possible for her to know about the blue-eyed boy from his memories? Did he mention him to her? No, it was not possible. Cliff preferred to die before saying anything about Dylan to her. She could continue to hurt and torture him, but she would never hurt Dylan. Never him.

"He wants to kill me, you know?" she commented, turning her attention to the papers she had at hand "He blames me for causing your death, but the United States government sees me as someone much more useful alive, so Wright had to be content to go after Higgs." when he saw her smile, he felt chills and a feeling of disgust "He won't come to save you like last time and I think deep down you know that too, so why don't you do us both a favor, Captain Unger, and give up?"

He didn't understand what she meant by that. He didn't expect to be rescued by anyone, much less for the boy who had kisses that tasted like coffee and something sweet. Cliff knew he was going to die there without being able to see Dylan again. And maybe that was better than the possibility of that woman getting her hands on Dylan.

_

He couldn't remember his name.

Not even when he caught a glimpse of his own reflection, he failed to recognize the man looking in his direction with a confused expression. He looked as lost as he felt.

But he remembered a boy who laughed happily as he ran through an amusement park holding his hand steady, as if nothing in this world was going to make him let go.

What was his name?

It was a beautiful name.

A name that made him feel good just by saying it.

Dylan. Yes, his name was Dylan Ethan Wright.

That was the name of the boy with the beautiful blue eyes.

The name of his best friend.

The person who meant the world to him.

He couldn't forget about him.

Because if he forgot... he would really disappear and turn into the weapon they wanted.

_

"Higgs is dead" who was this woman who visited him while he was locked up in the cell? It didn't matter. He didn't like her. "I knew he wouldn't get very far with those surreal ideas. What a waste. I should never have tried to use the serum on him, but in a way he served to my purposes." he continued to pretend he was sleeping. "After all, Higgs' latest crazy idea finally managed to kill the hero."

Suddenly, the loudspeakers were turned on and started playing a recording of a conversation about an airplane, bombs and having to sink the airplane in the ocean. He immediately recognized the voice that could only belong to the blue-eyed boy of his dreams (it was getting harder and harder to separate his dreams from his memories) and sat on the hard, cold floor, looking in the direction from which the voice came.

Someone was begging Dylan to change his mind and he was doing the same thing without realizing it. Another person was saying that Dylan shouldn't go down with the plane and he thought the same thing. Why was he doing this? Why did he want to sacrifice his life so easily? Why wasn't he listening to him? Should he beg louder? He was already doing this without caring that the woman was still there, watching him.

" _ This would be something that Cliff would do _ " Dylan said on the recording with a happy and proud tone. " _ Do you think he would be proud of me? _ " He had no idea who this Cliff guy could be, but he hated him for being the reason Dylan was doing something so stupid.

" _ He was already proud of you even before you took that fucking serum _ " said a man clearly trying to suppress his crying " _ Please, Dylan, don't do this _ " the man was crying " _ How am I supposed to face our sister if you do this? She'll kill me for not being able to change your mind. _ "

" _ I’m sorry, Ryan. I wish there was another way, but there isn't. _ " Dylan was lying and he knew it. " _ Stop! Stop lying to me! I know you want to join Cliff since the day of the train _ ."

The mention of the train reminded him of falling. Dylan was holding his hand. Not the Dylan who was at risk of dying from the flu, this Dylan was stronger than himself and didn't need anyone else to take care of him. He remembers being afraid that this new Dylan could not need him anymore. That perhaps the way Dylan felt about him would change, but Dylan himself assured him that it would never happen before he stole a kiss from his lips.

This was a lie. Dylan couldn’t have died falling with a plane. Dylan couldn’t be dead.

"He's dead" replied the woman, because apparently he had said his thoughts out loud without realizing "Wright chose to die saving some lives and hoping that he could find you again in the afterlife" What? What was she talking about? "I hope he isn’t too disappointed to find that you are not there yet." and without saying anything else, she put some newspapers on the floor of the cell and left.

All the newspapers said the same thing.

The same lie.

That Dylan was dead. That he died when he crashed with the plane in the middle of the ocean and the ice swallowed the plane with him. That he had died as a hero. That he saved and fought for so many lives in this war. That the whole country was grateful for his services.

There was only one article about someone named Gael Neeson who promised that he would not give up looking for the plane and Dylan's body, no matter how long it took.

Did Dylan really die because of him?

Because he thought he was dead and wanted to join him?

He threw the newspapers away from him and closed his eyes, putting his hands on his head, curling up in a corner of the cell thinking this should just be another one of his nightmares.

_

It’s been a while since the last time they took him to the chair and he was smart enough to recognize that it didn't mean that woman felt sorry for him. No, she wanted him to stay with his memories and suffer with them. Until he couldn't take it anymore and asked for the chair.

Because she obviously knew about the nightmares he had every night (he had no idea if it was the night or the day when he slept, but it didn't matter).

If Dylan really was dead and the memories he had of him were the only thing that was left about him, then the doctor was going to need much more than fucking nightmares to make him want to give up of Dylan.

_

Hallucinations started shortly thereafter.

He wanted to blame it on the doctor, but he knew it was just his mind trying to save him from his bad decisions, even if it was the last thing on his mind.

_

Dylan from his hallucinations, at the beginning, didn’t say or do anything, just sat opposite him and looked at him. He smiled when the two faced each other.

Sometimes he appeared as a child or as he was before the serum or after the serum.

He missed him so much that he sometimes wished he were real.

_

He tried to remove the metal arm from his shoulder.

The only things he gained from that were new scars on his shoulder, an almost insurmountable pain and the fact that he was now tied to a bed as hard as the floor.

Dylan's hallucination called him an idiot and he laughed for the first time at something that seemed like an eternity. He thought his stupid idea had been worth it just to be able to hear Dylan's voice. It didn't matter if he had gone crazy.

_

When they took him to put him back on the chair, he struggled with all his strength to escape from there because he knew that if they managed to put him there, this time he could actually end up forgetting about Dylan.

He killed, broke bones and pushed everyone who tried to touch him, but in the end that was not enough. It never was.

"If I was selfish enough to die like that, why can't you, too?" Dylan's hallucination said, standing beside him while he still tried to free himself from the chair. "You won't be able to miss something you won't even be able to remember."

"I'd rather die than forget about you." he replied, not recognizing his own voice, much less remembering the last time he had used it.

"Whatever happens..." Dylan held his hand gently and he could have sworn he could feel it as if he were really there with him "I'm not going anywhere." he smiled despite looking very sad "Even if you forget about me, I will always be with you." Dylan leaned forward and kissed his forehead "Until the end of the world, Cliff."

He lost consciousness before the pain broke his head in half.

_

A woman asked him a series of questions, which he answered without much interest.

She looked pleased.

He didn't like her, even though he didn't know who she was.

He didn't even know who he was.

It felt like he was forgetting something important, but he couldn't remember what.

His head hurt. The woman said this would soon pass.

_

Alone in a cell, he studied the place with interest as it was the first time he was there.

He sat in the corner and after a few minutes he noticed a small mark on the wall.

It was a name.

“Dylan”

It was so well hidden that he thought for a second that it could be a message to him, because that would have been the place he would have chosen to leave a message that he didn't want anyone else to find.

It wasn't something he remembered, it was just pure instinct. 

But that didn't make any sense.

Dylan was probably just the name of some prisoner who had been there before him.

Nothing more.

Despite thinking like that, Cliff can't help finding the name beautiful.

A name that made him think of a boy with blue eyes.

Who was he?

_

  
  


They put him inside a metallic cylinder that frighteningly looks like a coffin, but he knows that they don’t want to kill him because if this were the case they would have done it a long time ago. The cold soon takes over his entire body. The last thing he remembers before closing his eyes is to look at his reflection in the glass and put his metal hand forward, almost like an instinctive act. Was he trying to hold someone's hand?

~ x ~

Sitting at the dining table in the apartment Bruce had arranged for him, Dylan looked at some old photos and documents. It wasn’t the first time he had done this and he also knew that it would not be the last. It had been three years since they woke him from the ice. Some things had changed since then, others not so much.

  
  


Dylan has let his beard grow, mainly because hardly anyone would recognize him like that. Coffee is one of the few things in the future that he likes, as it tastes better than it was in the past. He works together with Bruce at the N&W (company founded by Gael /  _ Neeson & Wright _ ) and apparently now he was reasonably wealthy. Theoretically he is part of a group called SHIELD (It’s an organization that takes care of the interests of the USA and the world. Monitors heroes on their missions, as well as being considered the "last defense in the world" against superior threats) because Christine is also part of it. He continues to avoid socializing with others as much as possible.

  
  


Technology in the future is everything he could ever dream of and it was one of the things that made him feel really at ease. Everyone thought he would have a hard time adapting to all this technological modernity and it was certainly a pleasure to prove they were all wrong. He loved cars, especially sports cars. Cell phones and computers were easy to learn how to use, once he learned the basics, the rest seemed to come naturally. Electronic games were addictive. Gael would have loved it. Movies were just as fun as the comic books he read when he was younger. He would have liked to see those movies together with his brothers. As he walked through the city, Dylan wondered what Cliff would think about all of this.

  
  


Dylan found himself thinking about him often, especially when he felt the weight of his and Cliff's dog tags on his neck. It brought a feeling of comfort, as well making him lose himself in his thoughts and completely ignore what others were saying around him. He had also started smoking more often and knew that Cliff would not approve of that, but the taste and smell of the cigarette made him feel less alone.

Today was one of those days when Dylan felt the need to speak to someone. Spending too much time only with his thoughts wasn’t a good thing, mainly because he usually ended up having crazy ideas. Christine and Bruce were busy, so Dylan decided to visit an old acquaintance, telling himself that he was just going to check if that person was still alive. 

Unfortunately he was still alive.

"You really do live up to your nickname (Die Hardman), don't you, John?" said Dylan sitting on the chair next to the hospital room window, looking as indifferent as possible, despite the fact that he clearly went there voluntarily.

"Wright. What is your excuse this time to come and visit me?" asked the old man lying on his hospital bed, not looking very happy to see his visitor. "If you continue to come here, people will start to think that we’re friends."

Dylan felt the irony when he discovered that the only person who was still alive from his time was one of Cliff's men (and Cliff's friend, but Dylan ignored that part). John Blake McClane. Although the man was much older now, his facial features remained pretty much the same. In the first year off the ice, Dylan saw no reason to visit him, especially considering the last time they had seen each other. Or rather, when they had their last fight. Cliff was the only one who managed to stop the two of them from fighting and he was no longer there when it happened, so they said harsh things to each other that ended any possibility for the two to fight side by side in the war.

"Everyone knows that we hate each other, so that will never happen, but I promise to come to visit less often if it will guarantee our reputation." Dylan laughed not looking at his war colleague "I was just having stupid thoughts today and I thought seeing your face was going to be enough to make me feel better." he never was honest like this, especially with someone like John, but there was something about the fact that they were the only living people form their day that made Dylan unable to lie or to care about the years he spent hating him. "And it totally worked, so thanks. You look too damn old."

"Do these stupid thoughts involve taking another plane and sinking it in the ocean?" John purposely ignored the last words from the other by focusing on something that Dylan really didn't want to talk about. Not again. As much as a fight with John was an interesting idea, at the same time buying a fight with an old man over 90 didn’t seem like a sensible thing to do.

"No, nothing so dramatic at that point." assured Dylan, finally looking at the other and smiling, not falling for the other's provocation. "Why? Are you worried about not receiving my visits anymore? Now who's making us look like friends?"

  
  


"Unlike you, Wright, I value my life that the captain has protected so many times. The only reason I'm still here is because of him." began to say John in that serious tone of voice that Dylan hated so much. "It's the same for you, so don't even try and waste this second chance you won. You owe him at least that."

Looking away, Dylan couldn't believe he was getting a moral lesson from John with respect to what Cliff would think about his life decisions. He knew he was right, but he would rather die first than admit it (Bruce usually said that this was the kind of childish behavior he should improve on and Dylan pretended to listen).

"I thought you said it was my fault what happened to him." recalled Dylan in a cold tone, looking at John and knowing he had no way of denying it. "You blamed me for not being able to save him and I think that was the only time we agreed on anything."

John didn't say anything for a while, just looked at him with a tired and sad expression almost as if he felt sorry for Dylan (which would be ridiculous and unbearable).

"That was a long time ago."

"Not for me." Dylan gave an ironic laugh, thinking again about the huge difference between him and the people here in the future "For me it was like yesterday and even though it’s been almost 70 years I doubt you’ve changed your mind."

"I had a lot of time to think and I came to realize that it was wrong to say those things to you." John was now the one who was avoiding making visual count. "No matter how upset I was about what happened to the captain, I shouldn't have taken it out on you." he really seemed genuinely sorry.

"Why wouldn't you?" Dylan started to think that maybe John was behaving strangely because of the medication that the hospital probably was given to him "You have hated me since the first time we talked and I felt the same way." 

"I don't hate you, Dylan. Not anymore." the two were silent for some time, mainly because Dylan didn't believe what he had just heard "I envied you more than anyone, but you already knew that, didn't you?" John smiled as he looked at him "If he died protecting you, I had no right to put the blame on you." he took a deep breath and put his hand on Dylan's arm "I know... how much you meant to him." Dylan looked at him in surprise "And that he was everything to you."

Hearing John's words made Dylan think he knew the truth, that he and Cliff were something much more than friends, yet how that man had come to realize this was still a mystery to him. At that time, both he and Cliff took great care not to show any indication of affection above friendship in public, especially around the other soldiers.

"Oh, yeah? Where does that leave you and me then? You feeling sorry for me? Because that's the last thing I want to get from you or anybody else.” replied Dylan angrily.

"Be sure of one damn thing, Dylan Wright." the older man looked at him seriously "I’ll never feel sorry for you. Never. We are not friends, but we fought together in the war and I respect you, even though I still think you’re unbearably annoying."

And as if something had been resolved between them, the two laughed. Something that would have been impossible in their day, unless they were together with the rest of their team. Unless their captain told a very silly joke, just to make his men laugh.

"Do you still remember the jokes he used to tell, to distract us from the cold or tiredness?" asked Dylan, still smiling in the way he used to when he remembered Cliff.

"Hard to forget." replied John, also smiling "They were really bad and sounded weirder by his calm voice." he started laughing when he remembered something "I think my favorite was about the kangaroo." [the joke was:  _ Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State building? Of course, the Empire State doesn’t jump at all _ ]

"I have no idea where he got these things from!" Dylan also started to laugh as he remembered the joke John was talking about "If I had to guess I would say he secretly read it in a joke book."

The truth was, Dylan liked to talk to John because they talked about Cliff. They could easily recall the memories they had about him and sometimes tell a detail or fact that the other did not know, surprising them both. It was a good thing, something that made Dylan feel better, even if only a little.

"Now go away, I don't want you to get in the way of my afternoon rest." complained John, getting better in his bed after they had spent hours talking without noticing the time passing.

"Don't worry, old man. I was just leaving anyway." Dylan started to get up from the chair he was sitting on "I’m a very busy person, you know? Have a mission today." he stopped at the door to look at John "How did you know about me and Cliff?"

The older man stared at him, at first surprised by the question, until his expression changed to something serene, as if he had lived a lifetime and accumulated all that knowledge. He informed that Dylan wasn't the one who loved him back then, before turning to the other side of the bed.

Most of the missions that SHIELD called him to do, Dylan usually refused saying that he was very busy, but this one today would have Christine's participation, so he accepted because as much as he knew she could take care of herself (she looked so much like Amber when she fought) Dylan felt obliged to protect her.

Today's mission involved a SHIELD ship that was hijacked by pirates and they would have to save people who were held as hostages in exchange for money. While waiting for the plane carrying them to arrive at the place where the ship was, Dylan sat with his arms crossed and eyes closed, trying to ignore the rest of the team going over the details of the action plan again. Everyone was already used to his introverted behavior and therefore tried not to disturb him, but the same could not be said about his niece.

"You look upset today." commented Christine, sitting down next to her uncle. "What happened?" she asked in a kind and concerned voice. "Did McClane say something?"

Although he was obviously still thinking about the things John had said to him, he saw no need to say it out loud, let alone admit that he had been affected by it.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." replied Dylan, still keeping his arms crossed, although he opened his eyes "He was nicer than usual, but I suspect it was because of the medications they must have given it to him." he smiled and looked at her "What about you? How was your day?"

"Just boring meetings with the boss." she complained, crossing her arms "Maybe I should take a few days off. I can't even remember the last time I went to the beach."

Although they still don’t share an uncle and niece relationship (this was strange for both of them since they were practically the same age), these three years helped both to have a special friendship, close to what Dylan had with his brothers.

Christine really did look very much like her mother, but in terms of personality she was sweeter. She was a great fighter, smart to adapt quickly to unforeseen circumstances, she gets along well with anyone, she almost never shows off being angry (and when she does it she is exactly like Amber) and unfortunately she is a great liar (probably because of work).

During the mission Dylan discovers that Christine had another mission and that makes him very angry with her. Apparently she has to extract data from the ship's computer, under orders from their boss. This data must be important that Christine prioritizes it over hostage safety and Dylan doesn't like it at all.

  
  


When returning to the headquarters of SHIELD, Dylan confronts his boss about what happened on the ship and he is informed about something called the Insight project: three aircraft carriers with the objective of spying on satellites, destined to eliminate threats previously. Dylan laughs wryly, not at all surprised by this new information. People in this line of work never change, no matter how many years pass. As much as he is inevitably interested in learning more about this technology, however, he doesn't agree with the project.

Spending another night awake working inside his large laboratory in the N&W company building, Dylan didn't even realize that it was already morning until Bruce's arrival bringing food. The young man looked at him again with that reproachful look he always did when Dylan did something stupid or had forgotten to take care of himself.

"What is it? If you have something to say, go ahead." Dylan went straight to the point, returning from the bathroom where he had washed his hands so he could eat the pizza Bruce brought. It was his favorite flavor, so I assumed today's sermon wasn't going to be that serious.

"What is keeping you awake this time?" Bruce said, taking a seat in the only empty chair.

"I'm a workaholic." he replied without looking at the youngest, paying more attention to pizza because suddenly he was feeling very hungry "And addicted to coffee. Do I need more reasons?"

"Come on. You can be more honest than that." insisted Bruce, already used to the personality of the other and his stubbornness "How about this? You give me a truth and I give you one fact about Gael or Ryan that you don't know."

Curiosity was always something that led Dylan to make mistakes or act recklessly, as it was one of his few weaknesses and that only got worse with the fact that he was now in a mysterious and unknown future. Three years was far from long enough to learn everything. Bruce knew that and so he used it whenever he felt it necessary for Dylan to be honest. Like his uncle, the boy knew how to do business and persuade others. A feature that Dylan didn't appreciate much. 

"Fine. You go first." only after quenching his hunger, Dylan agreed to the terms.

"When Uncle Gael and Ryan fought, Ryan usually ended the argument by saying that you would have agreed with him and Uncle Gael didn't know what to say after that." told Bruce, causing Dylan to immediately smile even though at first he intended to remain serious.

  
  


"Nightmares." confessed Dylan, trying to sound as neutrally as possible even though he was avoiding facing Bruce "Nothing new, but I'd rather put my head to work than waste time trying to fix something that can't be fixed." after saying that, he went back to the engine of the car he was improving.

"You aren’t a machine, Dylan, and nobody said anything about trying to fix you." just like Christine, Bruce was in the habit of worrying about him and Dylan was grateful for that, but sometimes he just wanted to suffer in peace. "Do you want to talk about it?"

One of the things Dylan liked about Bruce the most was that although he always cared about him, the young man knew how to respect Dylan's feelings while showing that he was also willing to help in whatever way he could. He was a good man. Gael would be very proud of him, of that Dylan had no doubts.

"No, but I appreciate the concern." it was the most sincere thing that Dylan was able to say at that moment and he knew it would be enough for Bruce not to insist on the subject "What did Gael and my brother fight about?"

~ x ~

The Soldier woke up from his cold sleep. Perhaps "waking up" isn’t the ideal word to describe the transition from the state of suspended animation to the state of activation. After all, he was a machine. HYDRA's most valuable lethal weapon. And now he had a mission to complete.

  
  


The Soldier opened his eyes without remembering having closed it, much less how much time must have passed since his last mission. He didn't have to remember. All he had to do was follow orders. Complete the mission. That was all that mattered.

A voice in the back of his mind tried to say " _ tired... stop _ ", but he paid no attention to this defect because nothing good would come of it. If he started to show flaws they would put him in that chair and even if he doesn't remember, something practically instinctive warned him about the danger of it.

The mission was to kill a man.

Having memorized the man's face after analyzing the photo with his image, the Soldier read the files containing information about the target. He was the head of an organization called SHIELD. Considered dangerous and armed. The man had tried to access classified information, which indicated that he was in possession of a device containing important data.

The orders were clear and simple. Kill the man.

Preparing for the mission by taking the weapons, knives and all the items he thought was necessary, the Soldier adjusted the mask over the underside of his face in an automatic gesture. After verifying that all his motor functions are in perfect condition, especially his metal arm, he left to carry out the mission.

On the first attempt, the target escaped.

Mentally, the Soldier was not surprised.

The target was not a civilian, much less someone unprepared for situations such as a car ambush as it was carried out. A sniper shot would have been the most logical choice and that’s what he would do, as he had now permission from the handler.

The Soldier tracked the target to an apartment in the city. Clearly the apartment did not belong to the target, as he had entered not through the front door. While adjusting himself in the best position to shoot, the Soldier looked through the lens of his sniper gun and saw someone entering the apartment. A man. Civilian clothes. A gun in his hand.

There were none orders to kill anyone but the target, so the Soldier turned his attention to the target who was sitting at a perfect angle to shoot. The two men were now talking and the one who had just arrived looked extremely upset. Probably the owner of the apartment, he assumed.

But nothing of that mattered, completing the mission did.

The Soldier was about to squeeze the trigger, when unexpectedly the owner of the apartment turned in his direction only for a brief second, but long enough for the Soldier to get distracted because of his eyes. More precisely, with the color of the unknown man's eyes.

They were an intense blue color.

"Beautiful" was the first thing that came to his mind. Why?

The Soldier didn’t understand why he thought that, let alone why he felt as if his heart had been squeezed. He blinked several times and took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to be distracted. The mission. He needs to fulfill it.

~ x ~

"What the fuck are you doing at my place?" Dylan put his gun away when he realized that whoever had broken into his apartment was actually his boss. He started talking some nonsense related to family problems, but on the phone screen he was holding for Dylan it said < **SHIELD compromised** > Dylan wanted to laugh at the suggestion that there were wiretaps in his apartment, but if SHIELD had really been compromised then that possibility wasn’t impossible. "Who knows that you're here?"

"Only my friends." the boss said using his friendly tone (which Dylan usually never heard) as he typed on his cell phone < **Just you** > "I hope it won't be too much trouble."

"Friends? Wow! I didn't know you had such considerable thought about me." it was easy to say that because that was exactly how Dylan was feeling right now.

The boss opened his mouth to say something, but then Dylan noticed the light aiming at his chest and tried to warn him to get down, but it was too late. The three shots hit him before he hit the floor and Dylan dragged him away from the window. Dylan heard and saw someone moving, probably the sniper, but before he could run after him, the boss handed him the flash drive, he recognized as the one Christine had used on the mission, and heard him say not to trust anyone.

After calling Christine saying she should come over to his apartment as soon as possible, Dylan ran after the sniper because no one could just shoot his boss inside his apartment and get away with it.

Whoever this sniper was, he had as good a physique as Dylan's, which was surprising since he relied on the strength of a super soldier the serum had given him. They ended up meeting on the roof and Dylan aimed at him, shooting at a point that wouldn’t be fatal, but that would make him stop running. To his amazement and shock, the sniper turned just in time to stop the bullet with his bare hand.

  
  


Still impressed, Dylan noticed that his left arm was all metal. The silver metal gleamed in the moonlight. The two face each other intensely for a second. The sniper opened his metal hand, letting the bullet fall to the ground, and immediately threw a very sharp knife at Dylan. Dodging the knife was pure instinct because Dylan hardly noticed the other's quick movement. The knife pierced the brick wall behind Dylan and he looked at it thinking about what might have happened if it had pierced him. When he turned back to the sniper, he was gone.

Although they managed to get the boss to the doctors, unfortunately he dies on the operating table. Dylan cursed in frustration not because he was close enough to the boss to feel the loss, but because he had failed to save him and was now without answers to his questions. Christine was more upset by all of this and asked her uncle what had happened.

It was at this moment that Dylan remembered his boss's last words about not trusting anyone, however if he couldn't trust his own niece then he really wouldn't know who to trust. But the point was that they were not alone, several members of SHIELD were also there. Christine clearly made an expression that said she knew he was hiding something, but before she could pursue the matter, a SHIELD agent reported that the new boss wanted to speak to him.

After passing his report on what happened to the new boss and realizing that he liked his previous boss more than the current one, Dylan started to notice there was something wrong about SHIELD, which just proved that it had really been compromised. Whatever was inside that flash drive it was important enough that they planned to kill the previous boss.

Before he manages to leave the SHIELD building, the men with whom he has already worked on various missions fight him inside the elevator. The fight was a little complicated because of the large number of people trying to hold him and the little space the elevator gave him to defend himself, but in the end Dylan managed to knock them all out on the elevator floor. His brothers would have been so proud of him and Cliff would probably have said that he expected no less from him with that perfect smile of his.

  
  


Later, wearing much more discreet clothes, Dylan managed to meet Christine and after making sure they were alone (and also without eavesdropping around), he told the truth. Details about the sniper attract her attention, especially the part about the metal arm, and before he asks questions, Christine reveals that their boss's killer is known as the Winter Soldier and has been responsible for several murders in the past 50 years.

Dylan wanted to say that the man he had met was definitely not over 50, but he thought that comment was not relevant at the time, so they decided to plan a way to try to see the data on the flash drive knowing that enemies would go after them the instant they tried to do so. 

Although Christine was also very good at using computers, Dylan was obviously better, especially in this case that they would have to hack the SHIELD system to gain access to the data on the flash drive. The ideal would be to be able to use N&W computers, but Dylan did not want to involve Bruce in this mess, so he and Christine went to a random mall where they would quickly use the computer in one of the stores.

As Dylan was wearing a cap and glasses to disguise his appearance, Christine commented that he matched with that look and maybe he should cut his beard (she never liked the beard, saying it only made him look older), but he ignored it by focusing all of his attention on what he was doing on the computer. They wouldn't have much time until SHIELD sent someone to arrest them.

  
  


They didn't have time to view the files, but they did get the source location of the data, the military camp where Dylan trained in New Jersey. It was a very strange coincidence, but they needed to go over there to check. During the car trip, the two talked about random things.

Driving the car listening to Christine tell stories about her life, Dylan smiled now and then thinking that maybe when this was all over they should do it more often, probably even inviting Bruce too. Something like a family trip. He never thought he would be having thoughts like this when he was being pursued by enemies.

"All right, let's stop talking about me and start talking about you." Christine turned her face to her uncle with a cheeky and curious smile "My mom said you never dated anyone, but I have a feeling she was wrong. So tell me, when was your first kiss?"

"What makes you think she was wrong?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the road, considering whether he could make his niece change the subject without her noticing. Clearly this was not the case because she was better at social interaction than he was. Having no other choice, Dylan took a deep breath, happy that he didn't have to face her and said that his first kiss happened when he was 16, indicating that the matter was closed.

  
  


Stubborn as much as he was, Christine asked for more details because apparently knowing about her uncle's love life was an interesting enough subject for her to ignore the fact that it seemed a little strange to be interested in such a thing, but what could be stranger than sleeping on the ice for almost 70 years? Their relationship would probably never be normal, but they didn't care about that.

"I've never been attracted to anyone, much less felt the urge to kiss and things like that." he started to tell, not feeling embarrassed, but nostalgic as he always did when talking about the past. When he talked about him. "But that was before I realized my feelings." And even after finding out how he really felt about Cliff, Dylan still didn't have the courage to say anything because for him it was impossible that his friend feel the same way. But Christine didn't need to know about that. "It was incredible in a way I didn't expect to be possible." he said smiling happily. She asked if he would tell the name of the person who was able to make him smile that way even after all these years and Dylan responded by saying that it was a secret that he did not intend to share yet.

When they finally reach the military camp, they find a secret hiding place inside an original SHIELD base. They activate a supercomputer that contains Dr. Amelie's preserved conscience, which reveals that since SHIELD was founded after World War II, HYDRA has been secretly controlling the agency, sowing global chaos in the hope that humanity would be willing to deliver their freedom in exchange for security. Amelie explains that the flash drive contains an algorithm created by her.

  
  


"How many years have I waited for this moment, to finally be able to meet you, Dylan Wright." the mechanical female voice did not convey any trace of emotion. "And yet... I can't understand why my mother chose you. You are no hero. Captain Unger was and you abandoned him after falling off that train."

There was too many informations to be absorbed in such a short time, but Dylan felt a rage he had not felt since before he sank with that plane. An anger that made him think that he should have killed this doctor when he had his chance. How dare she talk about Cliff after what she had done to him? Maybe she was right. He wasn't a hero like Cliff, but Dylan would definitely do the right things he knew Cliff would do if he were in his place.

"Such a pity I won't be able to look at your face when you find him-" whatever she was trying to say they wouldn't know, because Dylan smashed the computer with a hard punch wishing he could have done it to the real doctor. Christine looked at him with mock indignation, saying that she never expected a day to come when she would see him breaking a computer, after all Dylan had said more than once he hated people who did that.

  
  


Apparently the conversation with Amelie had been just a way to buy time while sending missiles to bomb the place where they were. Thanks to their quick thinking, they manage to survive the explosion and run away before SHIELD agents find them.

~ x ~

The handler wants to talk with him.

The Soldier waits for him sitting on a chair with his eyes closed and the gun on the table.

For some reason, he can't stop thinking about the blue-eyed man.

Such a strange feeling for someone like him.

He wanted to see him again.

The Soldier never wanted anything during his existence, so why now?

Upon hearing the front door being unlocked, he opened his eyes and waited for further instructions from the handler. He didn't need his memories to know that this handler was just as irritating as the previous ones. While staring at him with a cold gaze and an expression of indifference listening to his orders, the Soldier thought of the infinite ways that he could kill that man right there. It was almost a hobby (or that’s what he thought) that distracted him enough to put up with it all.

  
  


His mind went completely silent when the handler showed the photo of his next target. His next mission. The man with blue eyes. His first reaction was to say no, but that was impossible because the Soldier could not say no to the orders he was given. He had no right to choose. He never had. Because he was their asset. Their weapon. Nothing more.

~ x ~

Going against all his common sense, Dylan and Christine sneak into Bruce's house, verifying the house is clean, they wait for Bruce to arrive to tell him everything. Bruce is angry with Dylan for not asking for his help earlier (certainly before a missile almost killed them). The three agree to work together and think about what to do next.

Christine suggests they kidnap one of HIDRA's infiltrators and interrogate him. Bruce thinks she is right, despite being reluctant to commit such bad acts. The infiltrator they interrogate reveals that Amelie's algorithm selects targets that could become threats to HYDRA's plans, with the role of the aircraft carriers to kill these people.

On the way to SHIELD headquarters, they’re attacked by the Winter Soldier who kills the infiltrator, or more precisely, he pulls the infiltrator out of the moving car through the window. Christine, who was on the back seat quickly jumps forward just in time to avoid a bullet, as well as pulling on Dylan's head to prevent him from being hit by a bullet as well. Bruce also avoids a shot by moving his head to the left.

  
  


Realizing that the shooter is at the top of the car, Bruce brakes sharply, forcing the man on the roof of the car to be thrown forward. Using his metal arm to scratch the asphalt, the Winter Soldier stares at them coldly, already starting to get up. Dylan almost felt his mouth open in surprise when he felt that this was the second time that man had surprised him with his superhuman abilities. However, what shocked him most was the thought that he would probably find all that worthy of admiration if that Winter Soldier wasn't trying to kill them.

  
  


It doesn't take long for the three to realize that he wasn't there alone. While Bruce and Christine fought with the other men, Dylan concentrated on facing the Winter Soldier as he was probably the only one who could be a match with his strength. He couldn't say what it was, but there was something about that man, in the way he moved that was strangely familiar to Dylan, even though he himself didn't understand it.

  
  


Now in the sunlight, Dylan could see him more clearly than that night on the roof when they first met right after he killed his boss. His grayish brown hair moved along with the wind, half of his face was hidden behind a black mask, the same color as the rest of his uniform. His metallic arm shone even more thanks to the sunlight and Dylan felt an intense desire to study that mechanism, almost as if he had forgotten that the man was walking towards him to kill him.

  
  


The fight started with a punch, as usually all fights start, but unlike the fights Dylan had already been through, when he felt the superstrength of the other Dylan realized that if he wasn't careful he could really end up dying. Whoever that man was, he was as strong as Dylan was. The first thing Dylan did was get the firearms out of the enemy reach.

  
  


Perhaps that was not a great idea, because the man he was fighting with was incredibly skilled with knives. Maybe even as much as Cliff was. Mentally Dylan cursed himself saying he should have paid more attention when Cliff tried to teach him how to handle knives, but at least he remembered how to defend himself from them and that is exactly what he did.

  
  


It was a relief to see the knife fall from his hands when Dylan kicked him hard, unfortunately this feeling of relief didn't last long as the Winter Soldier had another knife. He had no idea where the man had managed to get that new knife and Dylan didn't have time to think about it when the Soldier persistently tried to cut him with that knife.

  
  


Dylan refused to die because of a ridiculous knife, let alone by the hands of such a handsome man (wait, what the fuck did he just think?) who worked for HYDRA. No way. He was going to kill all those bastards who had been the reason he lost Cliff. It could be the last thing he would do, but Dylan was definitely going to exterminate HYDRA.

Having prepared mentally himself better for the fight, Dylan began to attack more often than he was defending himself and gradually began to realize that he was beginning to win. The two seemed to have more or less the same intensity of physical strength, so in the end things would be decided by each other's willpower.

During the fight, the Winter Soldier is thrown to the ground and his mask ends up falling, probably because Dylan had inadvertently put his hand on it when he pushed the other's body forward. He gets up off the floor with ease and when he turns his face towards Dylan, the world seems to have stopped.

  
  


It couldn't be.

Dylan dropped his arms and continued to look at the face of the man in front of him with an expression of surprise, shock, confusion and hope. It couldn't be possible. At the same time that he thought all this, something inside him said that he should have noticed earlier because it was obvious. The way he moved. His knife skills. The way Dylan was strangely attracted to him (even the first time they met at the roof). But at the same time, how could that be real?

  
  


How was it possible that this man had the same face as…?

"Cliff?" the tone of his voice was so lost that Dylan hardly recognized it as his own.

It was really him. Alive. After all this time thinking he was dead.

And he didn't recognize him.

~ x ~

The blue-eyed man - the mission - was looking at him in a way no one had ever looked at him before. There were so many emotions running through his eyes that the Soldier felt confused not knowing exactly what to do. During the fight he didn’t have the opportunity to observe the appearance of the target and now he was able to notice details that were not present in the photo the handler had shown.

The fact that he had a beard that hid his chin almost as if he hadn't noticed it until then (it look good on him), his brown hair looks more alive in the sunlight (for some reason he knew if he ran his fingers he would feel how soft they are) and his beautiful blue eyes looked tired as it had been a long time since he last had a good night's sleep.

The mission looked at him as if he recognized him.

And he had called him by a name.

A memory about a little boy with blue eyes smiling at him while they were sitting on a tree branch suddenly appeared along with the echo of someone calling him by that same name. Still feeling more lost than ever, the Soldier looked again at the man in front of him before noticing that the blonde woman who was accompanying the mission was pointing a gun at him, making him raise his own gun and hit her on the shoulder before running away from there.

~ x ~

Dylan would have run after Cliff if Christine hadn't been bleeding from the shoulder (it was a clean shot and not too serious). He would have run after the man with the same face as his best friend had if the SHIELD men hadn’t arrested him, Christine and Bruce. Everything seemed so confusing and strange that he didn't fight when the cuffs were put on him.

~ x ~

_ Whenever Dylan got in a bad day he usually had the habit of disappearing. His brothers usually found him somewhere he used to spend his time, but on rare occasions Dylan hid himself so well that Amber and Ryan couldn't find him without asking Cliff for help. Today was one of those days. _

_ Cliff found him on top of the tree they loved to climb when they were children. _

_ Instead of asking what had happened or why he didn't want to see his brothers, Cliff smiled at his friend and asked if he would like to go to the Steel Pier. Dylan came down from the tree with ease from someone who had done it countless times and the two went to their favorite amusement park. _

_ While Dylan was entertaining himself by drinking soda sitting on a bench, Cliff called from a pay phone to let Dylan’s brothers know that he had found him and he was fine. They would soon go back home after Dylan felt better. _

_ They were standing side by side supporting their arms on the wooden parapet at the end of the amusement park extension watching the sunset when Dylan started talking for real. "I can't live in that house anymore, Cliff." his voice sounded angry, tired and sad. "I know it will only take another year before I can move to the university dormitories, but..." _

_ The two friends knew that Dylan didn't need to elaborate further on how he was feeling or why he disappeared, despite knowing that he had worried his brothers. Unlike other parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wright rejected Dylan not considering him as their son because of his fragile health, because they wanted a perfect child and not something broken. That was the reason why Amber and Ryan were always next to their younger brother and took care of him with all the love and care. Dylan hated being a burden to his brothers. Cliff hated Dylan's parents for making his friend feel this way. _

_ "Why don't we live together?" suggested Cliff, feeling the wind blow past them as they were surrounded by the sound of water and people having fun behind them. "Just you and me. Living in an apartment near the university." _

_ "Are you serious?" Dylan looked at him confused and surprised. _

_ "I know you don't want to live with any of your brothers and I also agree that you should leave that house, so... let's live together." it had been a while since Cliff had intended to talk to Dylan about it, but it never seemed like the right time. "I'm sure we can manage things very well." _

_ In silence, Dylan seemed to consider his friend's suggestion. "I can take care of myself." without looking at Cliff, he used that tone when Dylan thought someone suggested he was unable to do something. _

_ "I know you can, but what I'm saying is that you don't have to do everything by yourself. You never did." Cliff insisted, getting a little angry that Dylan thought he was like the others who dared to disparage him or feel sorry for him. "Letting someone take care of your back isn’t the same as being weak, Dylan." _

_ "We are no longer kids, Cliff." he sighed, turning to prop his elbows on the wooden railing and look at the amusement park. "I want you to live your life without having to worry about taking care of me. You and my brothers deserve more than that." _

_ Cliff hated it when Dylan said things like that. As if he were nothing more than a nuisance. _

_ "I can't imagine a life without you by my side. Can you?" the two looked at each other at the same time, as if Cliff's words had made them accomplish something that until then had not been discussed in the conversation. "To the moon and back, Dylan." Cliff ran a gentle hand through his best friend's hair. _

  
  


_ "You still remember that?" Dylan continued to stare at him in amazement, as if he didn't believe what he had heard. "I thought you forgot." _

_ "Forget about when you were jealous of the moon?" on seeing Dylan's face blushing, Cliff laughed thinking it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. "No way." realizing that his friend was starting to get upset, probably because he thought he was joking, Cliff returned to his serious and calm tone. "It's like you said, we're not kids anymore. So, what's your answer?" _

_ Finally smiling in a way that completely illuminated his face, Dylan sat on the parapet looking at the water below them and then back to Cliff. Oh, he was doing that look. The same look he did when he first tried to climb the tree. _

_ "Why don't you join me and find out?" said Dylan in a provocative tone, still smiling. _

_ "Dylan, don't even think-" before Cliff could finish speaking, Dylan fell into the water with no worries in the world. "Crazy nerd." and obviously Cliff joined him, also jumping into the water and wishing it wasn't too cold to give his friend a new flu. _

_ For a few seconds, Cliff panicked when he couldn't find Dylan anywhere until he felt arms wrap around him from behind and hear a familiar laugh. Dylan knew that his friend was about to scold him for acting recklessly, but the words were completely forgotten when their lips met in a wet kiss. _

_ It was his first kiss and he had no idea if he was doing it correctly. He didn't care because Cliff was kissing him back. Everything seemed perfect and today didn't look as bad as he had imagined. Because for both of them, it was one of the best days in their life. _

~ x ~

After finishing remembering the memory, Dylan was brought back to reality where he was handcuffed in the back of the SHIELD car with Christine and Bruce. He still couldn't believe that Cliff was alive, that they had fought against each other and especially that "He looked right at me and he didn't even know me." saying it out loud hurt even more. He didn't care that the SHIELD / HYDRA guards were also listening.

  
  


Before he could think more about how he was feeling right now, the SHIELD agent who was his boss's right hand was among the guards. After managing to free them and take them to a safe place, where the boss, who apparently had forged his death, was waiting with plans to hack the aircraft carriers by replacing their controller chips.

  
  


More concerned with knowing what the boss knew about Cliff than the plan for them to save the world, Dylan demands answers and even questions whether the boss knew about the fact that Cliff was still alive. The boss assured him that he didn’t know that the Winter Soldier was actually Captain Unger, but gave him all the data he had about it.

With the new information, Dylan deduces that something serious must have happened to Cliff. Probably biological experiments when he was a prisoner of Dr. Amelie and for that reason survived the fall of the train and, after having his memory erased, has been used as a soldier of the HYDRA. And all this time, all these years, Dylan was sleeping frozen in the fucking ice. He managed to calm down after punching and breaking a few things.

~ x ~

"Mission report."

The handler was asking for the report but all he could think about was the man with the blue eyes. The way he looked at him. The name by which he called him. So familiar. Almost as if they knew each other. Was that possible? The Soldier felt vulnerable in a way he never thought it was possible to be. Not him. Not this weapon that served only to follow orders.

"Who was that man?" the doubt was as much for himself as for the man sitting in front of him still waiting for the report. He shouldn't have been asking questions, he knew that, but this seemed to be more important.

The handler, although clearly not expecting to be questioned, again explains the main points of the mission. That didn't answer the question. That didn’t explain why the Soldier had to kill the man with the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. Memories that he didn't even know existed inside him began to flash through his mind. Memories of a boy laughing, a man sleeping with a dog tag around his neck and a young man turning red in the face. Everything was still very confusing, there was no chronological order, however there was something that was undeniable. A feeling. Something as certain as the fact that the sky is blue.

"I knew him." for some reason his voice sounded broken and fragile, something close to humanity that he knew he no longer possessed, if he ever did. He probably did, otherwise that man would never have looked at him the way he had. "But I knew him."

They put him in the chair.

He knew he should fight it, but he didn't.

For some reason, he felt disappointed with himself.

The pain took away the few memories he had just remembered, as well as his feelings about the man with the blue eyes.

He had a mission to finish.

~ x ~

Breathing some fresh air and looking at no specific spot on the horizon, Dylan had his hands in his pants pockets while listening to Christine and Bruce worried about him thanks to the recent events. They both agreed on the same thing. That maybe, despite the Winter Soldier being Captain Unger, he could be too far away to be saved.

Dylan understood their reasoning, just as he was grateful for their concern, but they were wrong. They didn't know Cliff as he did. They didn't know that if there was someone who was able to go to hell and back it was Clifford Unger. Even if they were right, that Cliff had changed too much to be who he was, Dylan didn't care. The world meant nothing to Dylan if he had to sacrifice Cliff again. He preferred to die right next to him. And Christine and Bruce didn't need to know that. But looking into their eyes, he concluded that maybe they already knew this, because as always Dylan underestimated how much these two understood him.

The plan to save the world is quite simple. Christine and the (undead) boss deal with the current head of SHIELD while Dylan and Bruce invade the aircraft carriers and take charge of replacing the chips. It seemed like a pretty simple plan if you didn't count on the Winter Soldier with orders to stop them.

It was hard to focus on saving lives when Cliff was right there in front of him, wearing those black killer clothes that made him even more handsome and deadly, but Dylan did his best because that was what Cliff would have done if he were in his place. The last thing he wanted to do at that moment was to fight Cliff, but what other choice did he have? The last chip had to be replaced before time ran out.

  
  


"We’re going to get out of here together, Cliff." as he said these words confidently and firmly, Dylan smiled happily, thinking that for the first time he was looking forward to tomorrow since he left the ice, as if the mere presence of Cliff had managed to melt his heart. "And when we do that... we will have a lot to talk about." Dylan was not naive to know that the opposite could very well happen if things went wrong, but his words were still true. He would get out of there with Cliff or he wouldn't at all. There were many other worse ways to die.

Cliff remained silent and continued to stare at him coldly, again with that look that said he didn't recognize Dylan, not even from their last meeting. They probably had erased his memory again. Clenching his fists hard enough to engrave his nails on his skin, Dylan ground his teeth, controlling himself not to think about the HYDRA bastards and the things they must have done with the man in front of him. Now was not the time for that.

The two started fighting in the same way as they had done the last time they met, however this time there were many more emotions on both. There was a certain desperation to finish it, as if their lives depended on it. Dylan knew he wouldn't be able to beat Cliff if he just cared about defending himself from the blows, so he did the unthinkable by dislocating Cliff's shoulder. In return, Cliff shot him twice. But in the end he managed to replace the chip.

While the aircraft carriers destroyed each other, Dylan noticed that one part of the plane fell on top of Cliff, trapping him there as it was too heavy for him to lift himself and Dylan didn't have to think twice before going over there to save him.

  
  


"Why are you helping me?" questioned Cliff with a surprised and confused tone that made Dylan laugh (immediately feeling the pain of the shots he received, but tried to ignore it). "I told you, didn't I? We'll both get out of here together, Cliff." Dylan continued to lift the part of the plane.

"Stop calling me like that." Cliff looked upset and angry, even as he used his strength to lift the piece of the plane along with Dylan's help. When he managed to get out from under the piece that had trapped him, he stood up, moving a little away from the other. "I don’t know who that is."

Feeling his heart ache by seeing the person he loved most in the world like that, Dylan kindly said "Your name is Clifford Unger." he started to get up with a little difficulty. "And we've known each other since we were just kids."

  
  


Dylan's words started to affect Cliff, as he now had a lost look, however when they faced each other there was something in his expression that Dylan recognized as anger. "Why aren't you trying to kill me? That would be better than listening to your lies."

"Cliff, I'm not-" before Dylan could try to convince him otherwise Cliff interrupted him by punching him in the face. "Shut up!" shouted Cliff angrily.

  
  


Dylan and Cliff continued to fight inside the plane almost as if they couldn’t notice that at any moment they could end up dying if they stayed there. Both were tired, bleeding and now that the world was safe, all Dylan wanted to do was hug that man in front of him and never let go. It didn't matter that he didn't remember him. Just the fact that Cliff was alive meant everything to Dylan.

"I’m not going to fight you." Dylan stated firmly, throwing out all his weapons feeling more tired than ever, but strong enough to save the man in front of him even if this was the last thing he would do. "You're my best friend."

  
  


"Why do you look so much like him?!" Cliff's question with an angry and sad tone of voice that was so unexpected that Dylan automatically replied with a "what" rather silly, forcing the other to repeat his questioning. "Why do you look so much like Dylan?!"

Oh. How long must have been since the last time he heard Cliff call his name? It feels like a lifetime. Was it really possible? That Cliff forgot who he was, but by some miracle he could still remember him? It would be so tragic and so much like him that Dylan could feel the tears forming in his eyes. The last time he cried was when he was grieving thinking that he had lost Cliff forever.

"I think you know the answer to that."

~ x ~

The blue-eyed man didn't want to kill him.

In fact, he helped him when he was stuck.

Even though the Soldier was clearly trying to kill him, the mission only defended himself with no real intention of attacking him. He couldn't understand. Nothing the man did seemed to make sense. But the lies... the Soldier couldn't stand his lies. The lies made him feel lost, as well as the way the mission looked at him. Nobody looked at him like that.

With each punch he hit the blue-eyed man, it almost felt like he was hitting himself because it hurt so much more than any injury he had received. It wasn't exactly a physical pain caused by injuries or cuts. The pain seemed to go straight to his heart. Almost as if he were destroying himself.

He wanted to stop.

He wanted this man with beautiful blue eyes to stop him.

Because the truth was, he would rather die than kill this man.

This man who looked so much like…

"Why do you look so much like him?!" he exclaimed almost like he was begging for answers, even though he knew that the blue-eyed man would probably only lie again. They all lied. They lied and made him forget about the blue-eyed boy. The only thing that was important to him. The one that meant everything to him. "Why do you look so much like Dylan?!"

The name of the person from his memories came to his lips, surprising himself as much as it surprised the man in front of him. How could he forget? Something so precious and special. 

"I think you know the answer to that." was the response of the man in front of him.

It was his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes. They were just like Dylan's eyes. Intense blue, matching his stubborn, intelligent and crazy personality. No one would be able to have eyes like his. But this man couldn't be him. It was not possible. Because Dylan was…

Stop.

Everything hurts so much.

Make it stop.

Upon realizing it, the Soldier was on top of the blue-eyed man using his metal arm to punch him repeatedly in the face. The man did not defend himself despite being fully capable of doing so. He did not protect himself. He did nothing to stop the Soldier from continuing to hurt him. Almost as if for some insane reason he thought he deserved it.

"You are my mission." Cliff’s voice sounded like a growl, as if he was also saying that this man was not Dylan. Because the truth was, Dylan was dead. He remembered that, even if he didn't want to. He was dead and this man couldn't be him. "Dylan died and you can’t be him!"

"I thought you were dead, too." the smile and what Dylan said made Cliff stop his arm from punching him again. "I'm really glad that we are both wrong." even with his face all bruised, Dylan laughed happily without taking his eyes off Cliff. "To the moon and back, Cliff."

  
  


Immediately, the Soldier remembered a boy so small and fragile. He had his arms crossed making an irritated expression while himself laughed by seeing that. The boy was angry with the moon. No, he was jealous because he wanted to receive all the attention of his friend who was distractingly admiring the moon, while the two were playing in the room. This memory was mixed with another. They were in an amusement park and the next second swimming in the warm summer water. The small and fragile boy became a young man with an incredible smile that also made him smile just seeing him. The two kissed while they were still in the water. It was one of the best days of his life.

  
  


Before he could say anything, another part of the plane crashed close to where they were, making the floor open in a loud cracking metal. Instinctively, the Soldier held on to a part on the plane to keep from falling, while he watched the blue-eyed man fall with gravity. Even before he hit his back in the water, the Soldier knew that this man was going to drown. His eyes were already closed during the fall as if he didn't even have the strength to keep them open.

  
  


The Soldier had a choice. Not an order or a mission. A real choice. Something he could decide for himself. Whatever his choice, he knew it would change everything. When he released his hand and fell into the water, the memory of doing something similar brought him a strange sensation, probably something that looked nostalgic.

  
  


The water was cold, but he didn't care.

Upon finding the unconscious man in the water, he reached out his metal hand to hold him and pull him to the surface. If he could, he would have carried him in his arms, but his right arm was still dislocated, so the Soldier dragged the man's body out of the water.

  
  


When he placed him carefully on the floor, for a second his heart stopped with the possibility that the man was not breathing. The man coughed, spilling out some of the water he must have swallowed still with his eyes closed. The Soldier breathed a sigh of relief.

Now he had another choice to make.

He could leave the man here knowing that his friends (the woman he had shot in the shoulder and the boy with green eyes) would soon come after him to help. That would be the most logical thing to do, especially considering that he had almost killed this man. 

Wrong. This man had a name. Dylan. He had almost killed Dylan. Unforgiven. Every part of his body screamed that he should run. Go as far away from Dylan as possible. That he would stay away to keep him safe. Saved from him. That would be the right thing to do.

Running his fingers over Dylan's face, the Soldier knew he wouldn't choose to do that.

Everything was still very confused in his mind. He still couldn't remember who he was. The memories were still fragile and could disappear at any moment. Nothing felt right. Except for Dylan. The Soldier might not remember or know much, but one thing was clear. He wanted to protect this man. Protect Dylan.

Putting Dylan on his shoulder (as carefully as possible), the Soldier took them away with the intention of taking care of their injuries and protecting Dylan. He would not return to HYDRA. He didn't want to be a weapon. He wanted to be the man with the name that Dylan called him, even though he knew that was unlikely to happen.

Even so, he wanted to try.

The Soldier wasn’t an asset programmed to be a tool anymore.

He would be whatever Dylan wanted him to be.

This… was the choice he made.

~ x ~

Opening his eyes slowly, Dylan realized he wasn't dead because his face was aching everywhere possible. Sighing, he closed his eyes again, probably mentally preparing for the sermon he was about to receive from Christine and Bruce. When he felt someone sit next to him, he opened his eyes and just stared in surprise at the person who was watching him with concern in his amber eyes. And then he smiled.

"You are here." Dylan said, even though he knew it was obvious.

"Where else would I go?" he replied, also smiling (wow! he's smiling!) the same way he usually smiles every time he looked at Dylan. "You said we were going to talk."


End file.
